U.S. patent application number 16/820392 was filed with the patent office on 2020-09-24 for cooling of rotor and stator components of a turbocharger using additively manufactured component-internal cooling passages.
This patent application is currently assigned to MAN Energy Solutions SE. The applicant listed for this patent is MAN Energy Solutions SE. Invention is credited to Lutz Aurahs, Christoph Leitenmeier, Stefan Rost, Stefan Weihard, Claudius Wurm.
Application Number | 20200300115 16/820392 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004733302 |
Filed Date | 2020-09-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20200300115 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Aurahs; Lutz ; et
al. |
September 24, 2020 |
Cooling Of Rotor And Stator Components Of A Turbocharger Using
Additively Manufactured Component-Internal Cooling Passages
Abstract
A turbocharger includes a turbine and a compressor, each of
which includes a rotor and a stator. At least one of the respective
rotors and/or stators includes at least one interior flow passage
at least partly or completely surrounded by a wall that provides
cooling. The respective rotor and/or stator having the at least one
flow passage is at least partly produced by additive
manufacturing.
Inventors: |
Aurahs; Lutz; (Langweid,
DE) ; Weihard; Stefan; (Augsburg, DE) ;
Leitenmeier; Christoph; (Augsburg, DE) ; Wurm;
Claudius; (Augsburg, DE) ; Rost; Stefan;
(Augsburg, DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
MAN Energy Solutions SE |
Augsburg |
|
DE |
|
|
Assignee: |
MAN Energy Solutions SE
|
Family ID: |
1000004733302 |
Appl. No.: |
16/820392 |
Filed: |
March 16, 2020 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F05D 2240/10 20130101;
F05D 2230/50 20130101; F05D 2240/20 20130101; F05D 2260/20
20130101; F05D 2220/40 20130101; F01D 25/12 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F01D 25/12 20060101
F01D025/12 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 18, 2019 |
DE |
10 2019 106 733.2 |
Claims
1. A turbocharger (1), comprising a turbine (2) and a compressor
(3), each of the turbine (2) and the compressor (3) comprising a
rotor (21, 31) and a stator (22, 32), wherein at least one of the
respective rotors (21,31) and/or stators (22/32) comprises at least
one interior flow passage (4), the at least one interior flow
passage being at least partly or completely surrounded by a wall
(14) that provides cooling, and wherein the respective rotor (21,
31) and/or stator (22, 32) comprising the at least one flow passage
(4) is at least partly produced by additive manufacturing.
2. The turbocharger (1) according to claim 1, wherein the flow
passage (4) and/or the wall (14) surrounding the respective flow
passage (4) is produced entirely by additive manufacturing.
3. The turbocharger (1) according to claim 1, wherein the
respective flow passage (4) follows a course comprising a
multiplicity of flow-directional changes.
4. The turbocharger (1) according to claim 1, wherein the
respective flow passage (4) follows a course near the wall at least
in certain sections in the wall (14) at least partly or completely
surrounding the flow passage (4) within the respective rotor (21,
31) and/or stator (22, 32).
5. The turbocharger (1) according to claim 1, wherein the rotor
(21) of the turbine (2) comprises a turbine hub (5) and at least
one turbine blade (6), wherein the flow passage (4) runs within the
turbine hub (5) at least axially and within the turbine blade
(6).
6. The turbocharger (1) according to claim 1, wherein the rotor
(31) of the compressor (3) comprises a compressor wheel (7) and at
least one compressor blade (8), wherein the flow passage (4) runs
within the compressor wheel (7) and the at least one compressor
blade (8).
7. The turbocharger (1) according to claim 1, wherein the
turbocharger (1) comprises a housing (9), wherein the flow passage
(4) runs within the housing (9) and the housing (9) is produced at
least partly or completely by additive manufacturing.
8. The turbocharger (1) according to claim 1, wherein the flow
passage (4) comprises an inlet (10), which forms an opening (11)
configured to receive a cooling fluid into the flow passage (4),
and an outlet (12), which forms an opening (13) configured to let
the cooling fluid out of the flow passage (4).
9. The turbocharger (1) according to claim 8, wherein the inlet
(10) and the outlet (12) comprise a multiplicity of openings (11,
13) into the flow passage (4), which are arranged spaced apart from
one another.
10. A method for producing a turbocharger (1) according to claim 1,
wherein the respective rotor (21, 31) or stator (22, 32) comprising
the interior flow passage (4) for forming the corresponding flow
passage (4) is produced by additive manufacture by a 3D printing
method.
11. The method for producing a turbocharger (1) according to claim
10, further comprising a housing (9), wherein the housing (9) is
produced by additive manufacture by 3D printing.
12. The method for producing a turbocharger (1) according to claim
11, wherein the respective flow passage (4) of the rotor (21, 31),
of the stator (22, 32) or of the housing (9) is formed by a
multiplicity of flow passage sections with different flow direction
dependent on the required cooling capacity.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[0001] The invention relates to a turbocharger having a turbine and
a compressor, each comprising a rotor and a stator and at least one
of the respective rotors and/or stators comprising at least one
interior flow passage for cooling. Furthermore, the invention
relates to a method for producing such a turbocharger.
2. Description of the Related Art
[0002] The cooling of turbochargers with a turbine, which drives a
compressor, is effected, according to the current state of the art,
by conducting cooling media through long bores or large-volume
cavities of a casting mould. Because of the applied manufacturing
technologies and production methods, the applicable cooling
concepts are greatly restricted at present. An internal cooling and
a film cooling of rotor and stator components, which are
correspondingly employed in gas turbines and aviation turbines;
cannot be carried out with these production methods because of the
complex geometry of the cooling passages. Disadvantageous in these
cooling concepts for turbochargers is, on the one hand, the high
thermal loading of the components of the turbocharger and, on the
other hand, that a further efficiency optimization of these
components is not possible. A suitable cooling concept offers
substantial improvement potential of the efficiency of the
turbocharger.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a turbocharger and a method for producing a turbocharger
which, by a suitable cooling concept, reduces the thermal loading
of the components of the turbocharger while further optimizing the
efficiency.
[0004] According to an aspect of the present invention, this object
may be solved by a turbocharger having a turbine and a compressor,
each of which comprise a rotor and a stator. Here, at least one of
the respective rotors and/or stators comprises at least one
interior flow passage for cooling, which at least partly or
completely, is surrounded by a wall. The respective rotor and/or
stator comprising at least one flow passage is at least partly
produced by additive manufacturing. By the additive manufacturing,
the flow passage can be optimally designed for cooling the relevant
component. In this manner, a more intensive cooling of the
turbocharger components is made possible, which in turn has as
consequence an improvement of the lifespan of components of
compressor and turbine subjected to thermal load. It is
advantageous, furthermore, that this leads to a more intensive
cooling of the surfaces involved in the compressor process. Because
of this, the compression efficiency is improved. Consequently, this
is particularly advantageous for applications with high energy
densities and high demands on the turbocharger efficiency.
[0005] In an advantageous aspect the flow passage and/or the wall
surrounding the respective flow passage has been entirely produced
or created by additive manufacturing. In forming the flow passage
by additive manufacture it is favorable that the flow passage and
thus also the cooling medium employed can be conducted through
complex component geometries.
[0006] Preferentially, the turbocharger is configured so that the
respective flow passage follows a complex course having multiple or
a multiplicity of flow directional changes. In this way, the
cooling of the relevant component is further improved.
[0007] In an exemplary aspect of the invention the respective flow
passage, at least in certain sections, follows a course near the
wall in a wall within the relevant rotor and/or stator which, at
least partly or completely, surrounds the flow passage. Because of
the cooling media conduction near the wall thus made possible a
high degree of heat exchange is achieved and the efficiency of the
turbocharger is further increased.
[0008] Furthermore, in a particularly favorable aspect the rotor of
the turbine comprises a turbine hub and at least one turbine blade.
The flow passage runs within the turbine hub at least axially and
within the turbine blade. This is particularly advantageous to
lower the material temperature of these components or to introduce
sealing cooling air or film cooling air.
[0009] In a further advantageous aspect, the rotor of the
compressor comprises a compressor wheel and at least one compressor
blade. Here, the flow passage runs within the compressor wheel and
the at least one compressor blade. Because of this, the material
temperature in the compressor wheel and in the compressor blades
can be further lowered or also extract heat from the compression
process. In order to further improve the cooling effect and thus
also the efficiency of the turbocharger, the conduction of the
cooling medium within the rotor of the compressor and the turbine
can be combined.
[0010] The turbocharger according to an aspect of the invention is
configured so that the turbocharger comprises a housing and the
flow passage runs within the housing. Here, the housing is at least
partly or completely produced by additive manufacturing. By way of
an additional cooling of the turbocharger housing or of stator
components, the material temperature of the housing components or
of the stator components or of the compressor wheel can be reduced
and heat dissipated from the compression process at the same
time.
[0011] It is advantageous, furthermore, when the flow passage
comprises an inlet, which forms an opening for receiving a cooling
fluid into the flow passage, and an outlet, which forms an opening
for letting the cooling fluid out of the flow passage. In this way,
a cooling medium can be introduced into or discharged out of the
flow passage in the desired position. A suitable positioning of
inlet and outlet of a flow passage has a major influence on its
design and conduction through the corresponding component and
consequently also on the cooling performance. Because of the
additive manufacture, inlet and outlet can be positioned as desired
and the efficiency can thus be improved.
[0012] In a further development of the invention of the present
turbocharger, the inlet and the outlet comprise a multiplicity of
openings into the flow passage, which are arranged spaced apart
from one another. In this manner, an even entry or exit of the
cooling medium is ensured and, because of the improved flow of the
cooling medium or the improved cooling performance, the efficiency
of the turbocharger is optimized.
[0013] According to an aspect of the invention, a method for
producing a turbocharger described above is proposed, furthermore,
with which the respective rotor or stator comprising the interior
flow passage is produced by additive manufacture in particular by a
3D printing method for forming the corresponding flow passage. By
additive manufacturing methods, the flow passage can be accurately
matched to the requirements of the optimal cooling of the
turbocharger components. The cooling performance can therefore be
exactly matched to the respective application case and all
turbochargers and turbocharger applications can benefit from the
thermal household thus optimized.
[0014] In an advantageous embodiment version of the method it is
provided that the housing or stator components are produced by
additive manufacture in particular by 3D printing. In an additional
manufacture of the housing by additive manufacturing it is
favorable that by way of this the number of the applicable cooling
concepts is expanded. Through the additional cooling of the housing
or of stator components, heat can be additionally discharged out of
the compression process. Furthermore, the material temperature of
the housing components or of the stator components or of the
compressor wheel is reduced.
[0015] Preferentially, the method is carried out so that the
respective flow passage of the rotor, of the stator or of the
housing, dependent on the required cooling capacity, is formed
through a multiplicity of flow passage sections with different flow
direction. With this configuration of the flow passage, the cooling
performance of the fluid passage can be matched for the relevant
turbocharger component exactly to the relevant requirement.
[0016] Other objects and features of the present invention will
become apparent from the following detailed description considered
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be
understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for
purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of
the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended
claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not
necessarily drawn to scale and that, unless otherwise indicated,
they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures
and procedures described herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] In the drawings:
[0018] Other advantageous further developments of the invention are
shown in more detail by way of the figures together with the
description of the preferred embodiment of the invention. In the
drawings:
[0019] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a turbocharger;
[0020] FIG. 1B is a sectional view of a rotor with additively
cooling air conduction into the turbine;
[0021] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a rotor with additively
manufactured cooling air conduction into the compressor;
[0022] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a stator of an axial turbine
with additively manufactured cooling air conduction; and
[0023] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a turbocharger housing with
additively manufactured cooling air conduction.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0024] FIG. 1A is a schematic view of a turbocharger 1 having a
turbine 2 and a compressor 3.
[0025] FIG. 1B is a sectional view of a rotor 21 of a turbine 2
with an additively manufactured flow passage 4 into the turbine 2
is shown. Here, the interior flow passage 4 is completely
surrounded by a wall 14. Both the flow passage 4 and also the wall
14 are completely produced by additive manufacturing. Furthermore,
the rotor 21 of the turbine 2 comprises a turbine hub 5 and a
multiplicity of turbine blades 6.
[0026] The flow passage 4 shown in FIG. 1B follows a complex course
comprising multiple flow directional changes. In the region of the
turbine hub 5, this flow passage 4 forms an inlet 10 with a
corresponding opening 11 for receiving a cooling fluid into the
flow passage 4. From this opening 11, the flow passage 4 initially
runs radially in the direction of a center axis of the rotor 21 and
subsequently follows an arc-shaped course so that a wall 14
bounding the flow passage 4 is arranged in the region of the center
axis. From this arc-shaped section, the flow passage 4 runs further
within the turbine hub 5 substantially parallel to the center axis
in the axial direction of the rotor 21. This section adjoins a
section following an S-shaped course of the flow passage 4, which
runs within the turbine blades 6, until the flow passage 4 at an
edge of a turbine blade 6 comprises an outlet 12, which in turn
forms an opening 13 for letting the cooling fluid out of the flow
passage 4. Moreover, the flow passage 4 follows a course near a
wall in certain sections on a wall 14 completely surrounding the
flow passage 4 within the turbine blades 6.
[0027] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of a rotor 31 with additively
manufactured cooling air conduction within a compressor 3, which
comprises a compressor wheel 7 and multiple compressor blades 8.
Here, the flow passage 4 runs within the compressor wheel 7 and at
least one compressor blade 8. Emanating from an inlet 10 in the
region of the compressor hub, which forms an opening 11 for
receiving a cooling fluid into the flow passage 4, the flow passage
4 follows a complex course describing multiple flow-directional
changes. In FIG. 2, the course of the flow passage 4 initially
corresponds approximately to the geometry of the compressor blade
surface, since the flow passage 4 follows a course near the wall
within a wall 14 completely surrounding the flow passage 4. This
section is followed by a part of the flow passage 4 which runs
axially and parallel to the center axis of the rotor 31 and back to
the compressor hub and subsequently describes an arc and runs to
radially outside towards an outlet 12 with an opening 13 for
letting the cooling fluid out of the flow passage 4.
[0028] In FIG. 3, a perspective view of a stator 32 of an axial
turbine with additively manufactured cooling air conduction is
shown. In an edge region of the turbine blade 6, the flow passage 4
comprises an inlet 10 on which a multiplicity of openings 11 into
the flow passage 4, spaced apart from one another, for receiving a
cooling fluid is arranged. Following the respective opening 11, the
flow passage 4 runs in a complex manner with multiple
flow-directional changes and in certain sections near the wall in a
wall 14 completely surrounding the flow passage 4 within the stator
32. The flow passage 4 terminates at an outlet 12 which in turn
comprises a multiplicity of openings 13 spaced apart from one
another for letting the cooling fluid out of the flow passage
4.
[0029] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of a turbocharger having a
housing 9, which comprises an additively produced cooling air
conduction. Furthermore, the turbocharger comprises a compressor
wheel 7 and multiple compressor blades 8. A flow passage 4 runs
within the housing 9.
[0030] In its embodiment, the invention is not restricted to the
preferred exemplary embodiments stated above. On the contrary, a
number of versions is conceivable which make use of the shown
solution even with embodiments of a fundamentally different
type.
[0031] Thus, while there have been shown and described and pointed
out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a
preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various
omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of
the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by
those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the
invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all
combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform
substantially the same function in substantially the same way to
achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention.
Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements
and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any
disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated
in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment
as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention,
therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the
claims appended hereto.
* * * * *